Koopa’s back and once again, Princess Peach is his target! With the power of the Tanooki Tails, Bowser has a new weapon in his fight against his enemy Mario. Mario also has the power to the Tanooki suit and it could mean doom for Bowser’s plans. Battling through the Toadstool Kingdom, Maro must face Bowser and his minion!

Super Mario 3D Land is a platformer for the Nintendo 3DS. Following the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii in 2010, the game was released to glowing reviews and big sales. An attack by PETA on the Tanooki suit (as fur worn by the characters) led to PETA claiming the criticism was tongue-in-cheek.

New Super Mario Bros. is one of the hardest games around…it gets progressively harder and harder as you go through the game and leaves you pulling your hair out. On the contrast, Super Mario 3D Land is for the most part one of the easier Mario games in recent years though some more challenging levels do begin to surface later in the game play.

I don’t like your dad!!!

It is this conflict of difficulties that I wish Nintendo could fix. I like to enjoy a game, and I don’t want a game to feel tedious nor do I want to feel like I’m walking through the game simply because it is there. It is a tricky mix, and Super Mario 3D Land gets really close…especially when you start going through the special worlds. The difficulty level increases but it isn’t unmanageable…I wish the first part of the game was closer to the second half because by the time I got to the second half, I was a bit bored with the boards.

The game is a Mario game, and if you are a fan of Mario games, you’ll be satisfied. The running and jumping might be 3D now, but the game feels much like a regular 2D game (and not as much like Super Mario 64). The game does vary up the style and play by having auto-scrolling levels and levels where you are racing against a clock which is running out (but more of these surface in the special levels).

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The 3D’s simulation of 3D works for the game. It does give the game depth and feeling though playing it in 2D is also fine. Unlike Super Mario 64, the game really doesn’t have too many camera problems and it is easy to see where you character is going, what’s behind you, and what you need to see. With smooth sound and controls in addition to the strong graphics, Super Mario 3D Land scores high.

Super Mario 3D Land despite its minor faults is one of the 3DS’s better titles. The levels aren’t too long and it is easy to pick up and put down (something important for a handheld game). The game’s format was reused by the Wii U for Super Mario 3D World in 2013, but I think I actually enjoyed this entry better. The Super Mario Bros. series followed with New Super Mario Land 2 for the 3DS in 2012.

Follow me on Twitter @JPRoscoe76! Loves all things pop-culture especially if it has a bit of a counter-culture twist. Plays video games (basically from the start when a neighbor brought home an Atari 2600), comic loving (for almost 30 years), and a true critic of movies. Enjoys the art house but also isn't afraid to let in one or two popular movies at the same time.